A new EU Floods Directive
Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management
of flood risks entered into force on 26 November 2007. This
Directive now requires Member States to assess if all water
courses and coast lines are at risk from flooding, to map
the flood extent and assets and humans at risk in these areas
and to take adequate and coordinated measures to reduce this
flood risk. With this Directive also reinforces the rights
of the public to access this information and to have a say
in the planning process.
The Directive was proposed by the European Commission on
18/01/2006, and was finally published in the Official Journal
on 6 November 2007. Its aim is to reduce and manage the risks
that floods pose to human health, the environment, cultural
heritage and economic activity. The Directive requires Member
States to first carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011
to identify the river basins and associated coastal areas
at risk of flooding. For such zones they would then need to
draw up flood risk maps by 2013 and establish flood risk management
plans focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by
2015. The Directive applies to inland waters as well as all
coastal waters across the whole territory of the EU.
The Directive shall be carried out in coordination with
the Water Framework Directive, notably by flood risk management
plans and river basin management plans being coordinated,
and through coordination of the public participation procedures
in the preparation of these plans. All assessments, maps and
plans prepared shall be made available to the public.
Member States shall furthermore coordinate their flood risk
management practices in shared river basins, including with
third counties, and shall in solidarity not undertake measures
that would increase the flood risk in neighbouring countries.
Member States shall in take into consideration long term developments,
including climate change, as well as sustainable land use
practices in the flood risk management cycle addressed in
this Directive.
Background
Between 1998 and 2004, Europe suffered over 100 major damaging
floods, including the catastrophic floods along the Danube
and Elbe rivers in summer 2002. Severe floods in 2005 further
reinforced the need for concerted action. Since 1998 floods
in Europe have caused some 700 deaths, the displacement of
about half a million people and at least €25 billion in insured
economic losses.
Catastrophic floods endanger lives and cause human tragedy
as well as heavy economic losses. Floods are natural phenomena
but through the right measures we can reduce their likelihood
and limit their impacts. In addition to economic and social
damage, floods can have severe environmental consequences,
for example when installations holding large quantities of
toxic chemicals are inundated or wetland areas destroyed.
The coming decades are likely to see a higher flood risk in
Europe and greater economic damage.
Further reading
Directive
2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks
in all available languages (OJ L288, 6.11.2007, p.27)
Key documents from the negotiations
of the Directive are available here.
Read more about the implementation
of the Directive !
Read more about the EU Floods Action
Programme!
Towards better environmental options in flood management - natural flood management and green infrastructure !
More information is available on CIRCA - see the Thematic information sheet on Flood Risk Management in the Common Implementation Strategy.
Contact information
If you have any questions about the EU action programme
on flood risk management or if you have any ideas about how
to improve this site, please send us an email to the Water Mailbox of DG Environment. |
